Freezing
by Nienna100
Summary: My first Torchwood fic, one shot about Jack and Ianto. Ianto gets attacked and is poisoned by a lethal venom. Can the team save him in time? sick!Ianto cute!Jack. Janto Iack. T for language, more as a precaution than anything else. Tiny wincy bit OOC


Gwen stumbled into the Hub, bustling Ianto in with her.

"Guys," she called, "Some help?"

At her cry, Owen emerged from the autopsy room, Toshiko swirled her chair round with a gasp, and Jack charged down the stairs, taking them three at a time. He was the first person at the door, slinging Ianto's arm around his shoulders and tightly gripped his hand, relieving Gwen of her load. "What happened?" Jack demanded harshly, as he guided Ianto to the sofa by Tosh's workstation.

Stuttering, slightly Gwen told him, "We were patrolling the area where they'd had reports of mysterious noises like you told us. And then, it came out of nowhere, this huge, white beast. It… it cut him with one of his hands, its claws. It was all I could do to get him here."

Jack gaped at her for a second, before he knelt down by Ianto and pulled off the younger man's jacket. Blood had started to stain on his shirt. "Owen," Jack yelled. Ianto was far too pale for Jack to be comfortable with, far too pale. "Help him."

Torch in hand, Owen pulled Ianto's lax eyelids open and gazed into them. "Pupil's dilated." He laid his hand on Ianto's forehead. "Bollocks, he's freezing. That's not right."

Copying him, Jack resting his hand against his boyfriend's forehead. It was icy cold, colder than death. "Crap," Jack stood, asking, "Gwen, you OK to go back up there?" At her not, he instructed, "Right, Tosh, check the database for anything we've come across before that matches Gwen's description, Owen find out what's wrong with him."

"I'll need to take blood samples, the tests will take time," Owen interjected.

"Fine," Jack shortly said, "Whilst you're waiting, you can help Gwen and Tosh, who, as soon as they've finished searching, are going hunting for whatever caused this."

Tosh was already typing at her computer, searching, whilst Gwen murmured details to her. Owen hurried down to find a needle for extracting Ianto's blood. Gently, Jack ran the pads of his thumbs over Ianto's marble-cold face. "Ianto, can you hear me?"

The younger man shifted slightly, stirring, but did not open his eyes.

Panicked somewhat, Jack called, "Owen get a move on. He's unconscious, and I want him back with us."

"Jack, I don't know what he's got. I've never seen anything like this, not ever. He must have caught something from whatever creature cut him, do you see the wound?" Owen asked, as he returned, pulling Ianto's shirt off as he spoke. There were the marks of three claws there, the wound bleeding, tinged with blue.

Jack gasped, "Fix him.

"This is something not of this world; I don't think an aspirin's going to cut it. He's far too cold, get him warm!" His tone was business like as he cleaned the wound out, and bandaged him up, "Wrap him up, keep him still, make him rest."

"He's unconscious, of course he's going to rest," spat Jack.

"Calm down, Jack," Gwen said from behind. "Just calm down a bit, we're going to find this creature and make Ianto better, it's nothing to worry about."

Owen added, "Capture the creature, don't kill it. Most venoms have anti-venoms you can get from the creature itself. You never know," He drew blood smoothly from Ianto's arm, and said, "I'm going to analyse these, and you should get him back to his home."

"No, he stays here. I want to keep an eye on him," Jack said, sweeping Ianto up into his arms. "I won't leave him in his flat all on his own, there's no way. It's small, cold and… yuck."

He carried the man into his study, and deposited him gently on the sofa, then hurried down into his bedroom. Then, he brought up his blankets to wrap around the younger man. As he did so, Ianto blearily opened his eyes. "Jack?" he hoarsely whispered, "What?" His teeth chattered as he spoke.

Soothingly, Jack ran stroked his lover's trembling side, "It's alright, I'm here Ianto. How you feeling?"

"Cold, why's it so cold in here?" Ianto shivered, "Did the heating break?"

"No, it's just you. We think you caught an infection from the thing you fought." As Ianto darted upwards, Jack forced him back down, "You're not going anywhere babe, calm down. Tell me, how do you feel? Anything else?"

"Cold, aching, cold, head hurts, cold, exhausted, bloody cold..."

"When you say aching…"

"Like a bone deep ache, except in my muscles."

Jack snorted and pressed a kiss to Ianto's icy forehead. "You should rest, you've been injured and you're ill."

Protesting, Ianto said, "I have work to do, it's only early evening."

"Ianto, shut up," sighed Jack, tucking the blankets around him. "Go to sleep."

Softly groaning, turning onto his back, Ianto closed his eyes. Still trembling, he said, "This is going to sound pathetic, but can you find me another blanket? It's… so, so cold in here Jack."

"Of course," murmured his lover, and left him to sleep. With a grin, he said, "Don't go anywhere."

…TW.TW.TW…

Jack was half dozing as he tried to work though a mound of paperwork to stop Ianto having to do it instead, when a form dropped into his lap. "What are you doing?" Jack softly asked, wrapping his arms around Ianto. "Not that I protest."

"I'm cold, you're warm," said Ianto bluntly, and he tugged the duvet he'd brought with him around the two of them. "What time is it?"

"Almost eleven, you haven't slept enough," Jack told him. "Owen went out to help with the search, he left your blood results analysing." He stroked Ianto's goose-pimpled arms in an attempt to calm his shivering. He noticed that Ianto's breath was laboured, as if he'd run a race. Frowning, Jack asked, "Are you OK?"

"Jack, do I seem OK?" Ianto asked, but snuggled down into his lover's hold.

"No, you seem out of breath. Were you walking around? Owen will have my head," scolded Jack.

Ianto groaned, and buried his head in Jack's shoulder, saying, "No, I just walked over here, and it took some effort. I haven't got much energy, at all. I'm just… so exhausted and so cold." He shuddered.

Gently, Jack ran his hands down Ianto's arms to take his hands, and rubbed them between his own. "Don't go running around after aliens then, just stay here."

"I don't think I have much choice anyway," muttered Ianto, but he closed his eyes. Mumbling slightly, he asked, "Jack, before I came and… sat on you… were you actually attempting paperwork?"

Chortling, Jack asked, "Are you making jokes, Ianto babe? Maybe you're feeling better?" He turned Ianto's face up to look at him, saw the dark shadows under his eyes and the hue of his skin which matched his icy temperature. "Or not."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but this time, you shut up." Ianto groaned. "Please, my head hurts."

"Not a problem," whispered Jack, planting a light kiss to Ianto's temple, before letting him nestle down for sleep.

…TW.TW.TW…

Voice trailed into Jack's study, and he raised his head to shush his team mates, planning to hush tem when they came close enough.

Gwen's voice said, "…Poor thing."

"Yeah, well he shouldn't have sent the tea boy to fight an unknown alien. He's not been trained for combat like we have," hissed Owen.

"That's not fair, Owen, Jack…" Toshiko said, but she was cut off.

"Jacks' shagging him so he lets him be promoted," Owen snapped again.

Jack sighed. That was Owen, always so abrupt and coarse. He considered shifting out from underneath Ianto, to tell the rest of the team to shut up, but when he moved, Ianto moaned his protest. "OK, I won't move," he murmured petting Ianto's soft curls.

Suddenly, Owen charged into the room, half-shouting, "Jack you shouldn't be near him, he could give you whatever he has, you fool. Do you learn nothing? Get away from him you idiot."

Eyebrows raised, Jack muttered, "Alright, apparently I will move." Abruptly, he found Ianto ripped out of his arms, and he darted upwards. "What are you doing?" Jack demanded furiously of Owen, who had dragged Ianto away. Ianto stumbled upwards, paler than ever.

"He should be quarantined Jack, I thought you had half a brain. He could pass on whatever he has to you, and without you we'd all fall apart. We did before," Owen argued.

"This isn't just some random citizen, this is Ianto, our team mate," growled Jack. He could see Ianto's limbs trembling, and prepared to grab him if he fell.

Owen rolled his eyes, "I can see that Jack, but I can only treat him as a normal patient, I'm sorry. I know what he is to you, but…"

"Then you would know that I'm not leaving him," spat Jack in response. "Get that into your head Owen Harper."

"Jack," said Ianto, slightly slurring his speech. "Owen is right. You're being too emotionally involved. I… I…" Jack saw his knees buckling and darted forwards, getting a grip on his lover before he hit the ground. Ianto took in a shuddering breath, and said, "I should be out of your way. I should go home."

"You're in no fit state to travel," Jack stubbornly said, and he half lifted him so he could move the younger man down into his bedroom. Ignoring Owen completely, Jack took his time tucking Ianto into his bed, trotting back to fetch the covers from the floor, and leaving him there in the dark. When he emerged, Jack snarled, "This is not over Owen. Make him better."

Sighing, Owen explained, "It's not as easy as that. I'm having to isolate the individual molecules of virus that are inside the cells in the blood in an attempt to find out how the work and stimulate the production of antibodies to cure the disease. It's proving difficult. There' not enough of the virus inside that sample, and taking more could cause irreversible damage to Ianto. Jack, the virus is freezing him from the inside. His muscles will be wasting away as the body tries to use the energy from them to function. He's becoming weaker and colder and more in pain by the second. And I know that, and I'm doing my best, but it's three in the morning. We've been working since ten o'clock yesterday morning. It's time to send us home."

"Fine, go," sighed Jack, "but come back ready to fix your friend."

"I didn't mean it like that, I just meant that we can't function properly like this."

"Go then," growled Jack, as he sat at his desk. He buried his head in his hands, and waited for silence. It was swift in coming.

…TW.TW.TW…

Laboriously, Jack worked through the papers on his desk all night, and was on the last bushel when Toshiko's entrance interrupted him.

"Hi Jack," she called as she slung her bag onto her seat and walked into his office, "How's he doing?"

"I have no idea," said Jack. "I'm not allowed down there."

"Sorry," cringed Toshiko.

Leaning back in his chair, Jack told her, "It's OK, don't worry. Why are you here so early? I thought you lot would be sleeping in. I kept you up late."

"This is Ianto in danger, whatever we can do, we'll do for him."

"Thank you," smiled Jack, and he stood to go and make a mug of coffee. "You want a cup?"

"No, I'm OK," she hurriedly added, "Do you want me to do anything Jack, anything at all?"

Taking a sip from his mug, Jack said, "Actually there is. Can you run a search through the local hospitals, find out if there's anyone suffering from the same symptoms as Ianto? If so, how are they now?"

Toshiko added, "No problem, give me half an hour and it'll be done."

"Thank you Tosh."

A few moments later, Gwen walked in and joined her at the computers to trawl through the words, starting at the local hospital, St. Mary's. It took fifteen minutes for Owen to turn up, looking grumpy, but at the moment Owen sat down in his corner, Jack heard the word, "Shit," from Gwen.

Jack stormed towards the computers, demanding, "What? What is it?"

She turned the screen towards him, where there was photo of a gaunt, stark-white man, lying rigidly on a bed. There were patches of blue around his lips and fingers. Claw marks were prominent on his shoulder.

"Oh my God," gasped Toshiko. "He's dead."

"The virus is lethal!" said Gwen, "God, Ianto."

Jack was lost for words, but Owen took over. "Was there anyone else on the hospital staff, or family, friends who caught it? Is it contagious?"

A few frantic taps on the keyboard later, Gwen pronounced, "No, there was no one else."

"So we can see him? Not leave him to suffer on his own anymore?" spat Jack, trying to quash down fear.

Calmingly, Tosh said, "Jack, don't. Owen did what was best for the public and for us."

"Bt it was pointless, and not fair on Ianto. He's been shut down there feeling like crap, and with no one to look after him," hissed Jack. "And the chances of me getting ill were tiny."

Gwen reached up and placed her hand on Jack's bristling arm. "Quarantine is procedure, now stop it and just go to him. Make sure he's as well as he can be, considering, keep him warm and as comfortable as possible. We'll go out looking for the creature again."

Quietly, Owen said, "I've been running some tests, I'll go… check on them."

"You do that," grumbled Jack, and he swept away to his bedroom. When he reached the trap door that led to his room, he took a deep steadying breath, not wanting to let Ianto know he was annoyed. He pulled open the hatch, and slipped down.

"What pissed you off?" asked a weak voice.

"A young man overstepping his authority. How did you know?"

Ianto pulled himself upwards wearily and said, "You did that thing when you stop outside a door and calm your breathing. I could hear your footsteps."

"Remind me to soundproof this place then," laughed Jack, but he could tell by Ianto's face that the distraction was not working. Sighing, he said, "It's nothing, it's gone, I shouldn't hold grudges." He moved over to sit on the bed, but Ianto held up a hand.

"You're not supposed to come any closer. Stop," he instructed.

"I'm allowed now," Jack said, taking Ianto's outstretched hand and planting a kiss to each of the freezing finger tips. "We discovered that it's not contagious."

Half-heartedly tugging at Jack's arm to make him sit down with him properly, Ianto asked, "How?"

"They found another case of it in a nearby hospital, but only the injured had the disease."

"What happened to them?" Ianto asked as Jack slipped under the covers.

Softly, unwillingly, Jack told him, "He died, babe." At Ianto's panicked expression, he added, "But that's not what's going to happen to you Ianto. Everyone's working on helping you to get well again."

Ianto heaved a sigh, and relaxed against the pillow. "I'm going to die? I never thought I'd die ill and in bed, not with this job." A tear fell from his eye, and Jack wiped it away with his thumb, and shivered when he found it icy cold, like an icicle.

"You're not going to die," Jack stubbornly said. Then he was distracted, and muttered, "Why are you dressed in your suit Ianto? You should be in something more comfy dear."

"I had to put it back on, trying to warm up," groaned Ianto. "There's nothing else to wear, except your pyjama bottoms."

Half an hour later, Jack dropped back down with jumpers, a shirt, trouser bottoms, and several pairs of socks. Ianto was pitifully weak, so Jack helped him into the clothes. When he was done, he quietly said, "There you are. I've turned up the heating to try and warm you up a little, for what good it will do. It's on maximum."

"Thanks but… won't all the others get annoyed?"

"Don't care," said Jack jovially as he pulled the duvets over himself and Ianto. "Crap, I'm going to be hot under all of these." He pulled off his shirt, shoes and socks, and wrapped his arms around Ianto's chilly body. Ianto let out a soft mew of pleasure. Quietly, Jack made a questioning noise, asking for the reason behind the happiness.

"You're warm. Everything else is just numb weight. Body heat seems to be the only thing that warms me up, Owen's hand was warm too, that's when I noticed it."

"So it's not just because I'm special then," pouted Jack.

"Though you are, no, sorry babe," babbled Ianto.

"Well isolation wouldn't have done you much good then."

It may have been his imagination, but Jack thought he could see the shudders rippling through Ianto's body slow ever so slightly. Encouraged, Jack lifted the younger man carefully, and put him back down so that Ianto was lying on top of him. Ianto curled on Jack's chest, no doubt trying to make his body as warm as possible. "Is that OK?" Jack enquired.

Through chattering teeth, Ianto said, "It's great."

"Now all we need is someone on top and…"

Weakly, Ianto hit him on the arm.

"My God, do you never stop? I can't believe you'd take advantage of poor Ianto when he's ill? How could you Jack?" exclaimed Tosh from the trap door.

"I'm not 'taking advantage' of him," protested Jack, though he kissed his lover's frosty cheek innocently. "I'm trying to look after him. What are you doing back here?"

"We found it, the… creature. It wasn't hard to track in the end, he was hiding in the huge freezer at the docks. The one where they store all the fish?" Tosh replied, "He's in the cells. Do you want to come see him?"

"Him?" laughed Jack as he moved Ianto with tender slowness, despite the fact that Ianto whispered, "I'm not made of glass love."

"Owen and Gwen are debating names as we speak. Gwen is going for Fluffy, Owen's going for Snowy," she giggled. "They're not as imaginative as you Ianto."

Chuckling, Jack asked, "Are you coming up or staying here?"

Soft voice, Ianto said, "Please, I want to see it properly." He slung his arms around his lover's neck. "I hate to ask, you know this, but help me."

Gently, Jack lifted Ianto up onto his socked feet, and helped him climb up to the top of the stairs. When Ianto was sitting on the top, Jack pulled on a shirt and headed up to guide his lover to the cells.

…TW.TW.TW…

"I can put a name to that less than pretty face," said Ianto as Jack hooked a chair with is foot and made the younger sit on it. "That's… a yeti."

Jack looked up at the huge, hulking, pure white beast. Its face was blue, folded skin, and only the slight ghost of black, manic eyes.

"No, I thought they were only a myth!" gasped Gwen.

"You can't have that many rumours flying around without some fact behind the fiction," said Jack as he studied the yeti. "It's amazing."

"Also lethal," pointed out Owen, gesturing to the claws.

"I should have known, I should have known this," groaned Ianto, looking frustrated.

Putting a hand on Ianto's knee, Jack asked, "Why? What should you have known more than any of us?"

"Back at Torchwood one, they sent a squad out to the Arctic to investigate a mysterious number of death by hypothermia out there. They never came back; they died out there, frozen, but they took a photograph, one that the second team found, when they were sent to recover the bodies. It was of… that. It killed them."

Jack rubbed Ianto's knee gently in small circles, and told him, "We'll find the cure. Owen, you can use the... yeti to find the venom and therefore the anti-venom, right?"

"Yeah, it might take a while, but hypothetically yes I can do that."

"Hypothetically?!"

"Well… you never know."

"I know," hissed Jack. "I know that you can do this."

"I'm going to do what I can, but there's not much time," sighed Owen. "The man at the hospital died after three days. That means that I have two."

Jack had to try and stay positive, at least to keep the despair from Ianto's beautiful blue eyes. "You can do it. Gwen, Tosh, help him if he needs it. If not, take the day off. I want you well rested for work as normal tomorrow, please." He threw a protesting Ianto over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, and left the room, hearing Gwen's last comment as he did.

"Always one for heroics, our Jack."

…TW.TW.TW…

When Ianto was tucked back into bed once more, Jack sat next to him and asked, "Do you want anything love? You should keep your strength up, can I get you food… or…?"

"Tea, but not the muck you make," said Ianto, burying himself deeper into the blankets. "And my head hurts and you're asking difficult questions."

"Sure. Gwen!" he yelled. "Ianto wants tea, but apparently…"

"Jack, shut up," moaned Ianto, hiding his face in his pillow.

"Sorry," Jack clambered up next to Gwen, asking, "Will you please make him some tea, because I'm good enough for making love but not for making a brew."

Gwen laughed and nodded his consent. "Not a problem. Tosh is helping Owen, and I'm somewhat useless. Ianto's ill, your tea tastes like crap mixed with water, and therefore I shall make some tea. Summed up well?" She then called down the hole, "What d'you want Ianto? Green, mint, lemon, chamomile?"

"Why do people talk so loud?" groaned Ianto, "Stop asking me to make decisions."

Giggling again, Gwen walked away to make the cup of tea.

Jack jumped back down to snuggle down with Ianto. "You're grumpy today, my poor babe."

With a sigh, Ianto told him, "I just want to sleep."

"Then sleep," shrugged Jack as he pulled the covers over them both and let Ianto lean his head on his shoulder.

"I can't, Gwen's making the tea and I don't want to sleep down here all alone again," grumbled Ianto.

"You never mind sleeping down here usually," pointed out Jack, slightly confused.

"Yes, but I wasn't on my own then."

"Are you asking me to stay down here with you? Because you should…"

A protesting Ianto cut him off, saying, "No you've wasted more than enough time down here with me. You have a job to do Jack. I'm not your first priority; I know that is a fact."

The younger man seemed slightly frantic, so Jack soothed, "Ianto you are my first priority, and there's no one in the whole universe that I could help more with my attention than you. The Rift Monitor is quiet, the telephones aren't ringing, but you're in pain and I can help you."

"I'm making everyone's lives difficult."

"Gwen and Tosh are getting to go home early, I hardly think you're making their lives difficult."

"Owen…"

"Is doing his job. I'd have made him find the anti-venom anyway. He needs a challenge every now and again."

Ianto made a grumbling noise, but stopped arguing.

"You need to start appreciating good things," said Jack.

A voice from above indicated that Gwen was done with the tea. Jack went up to get it. As she handed over the drink, Gwen said, "I made it hot, but not boiling. Owen says it would be bad to shock his system, but it also means that Ianto can drink it straight away. He looks exhausted and has no energy, he should sleep."

Glancing down, Jack, with a tender smile on his face, said, "I don't think it'll take long.

Before Jack could go back down to his boyfriend, Gwen softly said, "Jack, I'm sorry."

Surprised, Jack asked, "What for?"

"He shouldn't have been hurt, it should have been me."

"Just so you could sleep in these arms?" joked Jack.

"No, but I know he's not as experienced as the rest of us…" she trailed off, embarrassed.

"Gwen, Ianto wanted to start doing more to help. He got a taste of the action when I was… away…and he asked if he could do more. He's not some complete newbie, he was in training when Torchwood One was destroyed. Maybe he could use a little more training, but he doesn't want me to coddle him just because we're together." He frowned, "I want it made clear that if I thought it would do him any good I would keep him in that office where he would be relatively safe."

"I wasn't trying to say…"

"I know, I know. And accidents happen. This was all just an accident, that's all… I'll see you Gwen."

She said her goodbyes, and Jack shut the rest of the world away from Ianto and himself. He put the mug of steaming tea on the table, made Ianto sit up, and straddled his legs.

"What are you doing?" mumbled Ianto. "Why can't I just drink my drink?"

"Ianto, look at your hands, you're shivering so much that you'll slop your drink everywhere and burn or possibly melt yourself."

The younger man stared at his hands as if willing them to stop shaking, failed, and asked, "What are you going to do then?"

"You'll see," Jack took Ianto's hands in his own and placed them on either side of the mug, warning him not to lift it up, then covered the trembling hands with his own, and helped him lift it smoothly to his mouth, "Just sip."

When Ianto indicated that he was done, Jack put the half-empty cup back in the side table and, as he got in under the covers, asked, "How was that?"

"It made me feel a bit warmer, not much, but some."

"Good."

"You probably think I'm pathetic."

"No, not at all. I think you have an excuse for someone to help you love." When Ianto still looked distressed and lost, Jack murmured, "Come here," and let Ianto nestle into his embrace. The younger man was still shuddering so, using long soothing strokes, Jack tried to calm him. "Just relax, it's all OK. Just relax. You're safe here."

"I'm scared," Ianto hoarsely confessed.

Jack lightly kissed his hair, "Don't be. I'm not going to let you go. I won't let you die. I love you."

A sweet smile graced Ianto's lips, and Jack felt him take deep breaths, trying to let go of all his tension. Ever so slightly, the trembling slowed, and Ianto yawned. "I'm going to sleep now." He closed his eyes, but added, "Jack, thank you."

"Hey, if I can't be your hot water bottle every now and again, what good am I?" Jack asked, but found Ianto too sleepy to respond. In silence, he watched Ianto's chest rise up and down as he dozed. Jack would make sure that he kept on breathing for a long while.

…TW.TW.TW…

"What are you doing here? I figured Ianto would be refusing to let you go," said Owen, looking up from his computer.

"He sent me away to eat," said Jack. "His exact words were 'there should only be one person wasting away.' Chip?" he offered the bag.

"Thanks," Owen said, taking a handful. "How is he?"

Jack sat down in Owen's spare chair. "I can hardly say he's improved. I got him to drink some tea, but the smell of food apparently made him feel ill. He ate a grand total of half a chip. Have you made any progress?"

"Not sure," said Owen. "Not yet anyway."

"Be sure," Jack told him, too worried to even vaguely care about manners.

Too understandingly, Owen smiled, "I'm doing the best that I can. I sent Tosh off to lunch. It's pretty much a one man job, but she's desperate to help. Women."

"That's fine, but if the Rift Monitor goes get her back at once."

"Gwen's probably sitting by the phone. They were both feeling useless."

"That makes everyone but you," sighed Jack. "But I'd prefer that to everyone having to be too busy whilst Ianto sits there feeling guilty for wanting to have me around."

"You love him don't you?" Owen said, looking at Jack critically.

"I really do," said Jack, finishing the last of his meal, that which Owen hadn't taken for himself anyway. "Would you believe that he was the one who came on to me first, apart from the whole 'flirt with everyone' thing that I have going on."

Owen choked on his chip. "Seriously?"

Grinning, Jack said, "Yup, now you wash your hands and get back to work."

…TW.TW.TW…

Ianto moaned as Jack sat down next to him, and the younger man hid his face in Jack's soft shirt.

"What's the matter?" Jack quietly asked, though he encircled Ianto in his arms. "What can I do?"

"I don't care if you're hungry, you're not leaving again. I was worried that the phrase 'freezing my arse off' was going to be literal."

Hesitantly, Jack touched Ianto's forehead, and found it colder than ever before. "Shit," he muttered to himself, but out loud, said, "You were the one who sent me away when my growling stomach woke you up."

With a sad smile, Ianto said, "I know, and you don't need to hide it from me. I know I'm getting worse."

"If we have to, we can store you in a cryogenic chamber until Owen finds the cure. I'm not going to let you die Ianto," said Jack furiously.

"And you never know, it might be marginally warmer in there."

"I wasn't trying to be funny. Now stay there, I had an idea." A few moments later, an apologetic Jack returned, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap, I'm just…"

"Frustrated I know," said Ianto, forcing a smile onto his face.

"No," said Jack, wrapping his arms around Ianto's chest. "I'm scared for you." Then he smirked, "I could be frustrated if you want. I guess you're the one with control over that."

As he lifted up, onto his feet, Ianto said, "I'm good thanks, but what's this great idea of yours?" He was dragged without a reply into the bathroom that was adjacent to Jack's room. "Ah, a bath."

"A hot bath. Frankly, I though it was genius," said Jack, "All round warmness. I mean, the drink warmed you up right?" He started to undress his lover. "I'll stay here if you like."

"Jack I can do it myself, and you'll do more than stay in here," said Ianto, knocking Jack's hands away and fumbling with the buttons.

Jack counted down silently from sixty, watching Ianto try in vain to strip himself of his many layers, before wordlessly taking over. To distract the younger man, he said, "When you say that I'd do more than stay…"

"Well the tub is of a substantial size," said Ianto, peeling off his socks.

Hiding a grin, Jack innocently asked, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you can join me in the bath," said Ianto hurriedly.

"I know, I just wanted to see some colour back in your cheeks, even if that colour did come from a blush," Jack confessed, easing off Ianto's shirt and then starting on his own clothes.

A few moments later, they had submerged themselves in the hot water. Ianto leant back with a contented sigh in Jack's grasp.

"Can I assume that this was a good idea?" smirked Jack smugly.

"I wouldn't go as far as your best yet," Ianto said with exaggerated slowness, "But it's defiantly a nice one."

"Just nice?" demanded Jack, feigning anger.

"There's no bubbles, and I still feel like crap," said Ianto, but he was grinning as he spoke.

Jack didn't speak any more, and saw his lover's eyelids slipping closed for sleep. His shivering had slowed dramatically, to only the occasional tremor. As Ianto began to snore lightly, Jack was glad that the younger man had asked him to join him in the water, or Ianto could have slipped into a doze and drowned.

He let himself relax, enjoying the warmth of the water, and the close contact between him and his lover. They did not often just cuddle up and relax like this. Their days went from food to work to food to work to food again, then sex and sleep. It was nice to just be comfortable together, even if they were in the bath, with Ianto asleep. Then again… the bath held some… inventive memories for the pair.

A high pitched shriek emerged from the doorway.

Quick as a flash, Jack displaced Ianto so that his body was shielding the younger man from view, as Gwen squealed, "My God you two. You're like rabbits."

Ianto raised his head weary, "Was there a reason behind you throwing me away Jack?"

"It was an attempt to protect your modesty, love," said Jack, and then turned to Gwen. "Chuck those towels and wait outside for three minutes please."

"Yes sir," she threw the towels towards the couple. Jack caught them and, having waited for Gwen to leave, fished Ianto out and dried him off. When he saw that Ianto was shaking worse than ever, Jack helped him dress hurriedly.

"Why's Gwen at the door?" croaked Ianto.

"If I know I wouldn't be putting this sock on backwards," said Jack, distracted.

Ianto placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Calm down Jack. It could be good news."

"Even more reason to hurry you," said Jack, putting an arm around Ianto's shoulder to support him, and helped him back into the bedroom. To Gwen, Jack said, "I assume this is not just you saying hi,"

"No. Well you see, Rhys was out at work, and there was nothing for me to do, so I came back. I was worried about the two of you; thought I might be able to help. I could make some soup or something," she explained. "And then when I got here, just a moment ago this is, Owen sent me down with the message 'I'm sure.' He said that it would make sense to you…?"

Eagerly, Jack darted forwards, chivvying Ianto up the ladder. They hurried to Owen's workstation, Jack ignoring Ianto's mutinous mutter of "You are a ruthless slave driver and you enjoy it."

When he bounded up next to Owen, Jack asked, "You're a hundred perfect positive?"

"Well, I could never be a hundred percent sure," said Owen, until he caught sight of Jack's expression and added, "But… but I'm as sure as anyone can be without human trials. You see, there's no one with the disease that I could test the anti-venom on."

"Whoa," said Jack, holding a hand up. "You want Ianto to be the first human under the effect of this medicine?"

"I've run every computer program possible on it, and test it on the vial of Ianto's blood. There's no other alternative," argued Owen. "This isn't an ideal situation."

"So test it on me. I'll go down to the cells, make the yeti hurt me, and then you can give the anti-venom to me," Jack reasoned.

Everyone in the room protested, but it was Ianto who Jack listened to. "Jack don't be ridiculous, they don't want to lose two team mates. I'm replaceable, don't look at me like that, I am I know. You're not able to die, but we shouldn't take the risk if we don't have to."

Seeing the resolution in his lover's face, Jack sighed and said, "Fine, do it."

…TW.TW.TW…

The needle slid easily into Ianto's ice-cold skin, and the liquid flowed straight into the man's veins. When the needle withdrew, Ianto shuddered, "Feels weird."

His boyfriend, who was sitting next to him, arm slung around his waist, asked, "What do you mean love?"

"I mean that I know exactly how an ice-cube feels when it melts," Ianto told him.

Stifling a laugh, Jack pressed the back of his palm to Ianto's cheek, "You're feeling slightly more human, but you're still pale."

"It's medicine, not a miracle cure," interjected Owen, crossing his arms grumpily.

"I know," said Jack softly, but he wasn't looking at Owen. His whole attention was focused on his lover, as he searched Ianto's face, "You aren't looking much better."

"That's because… I don't feel… so great," Ianto slumped backwards, caught only by Jack's hands at his back.

What happened?" asked Jack, whipping around to look at Owen.

The doctor rushed forwards to examine the fallen man, "His body's waging war with itself, and he hasn't eaten enough to sustain himself properly. I probably should have expected it."

"Nice of you to tell us that," said Jack sarcastically, though he was frantically tapping at his lover's face, "Come on Ianto, come on love, come back to me."

"God my head hurts," groaned Ianto, opening his eyes slowly, "What happened?"

"You collapsed," Gwen told him, as Jack helped him sit up properly. Ianto, elbows on his knees, buried his face in his hands.

After a tense moment, with the others waiting for his verdict, Ianto asked, small grin on his face, "Aren't the rest of you boiling? Damn the heating is able to go high."

It took a moment for everyone to process the information, but Gwen burst into relieved laughter, breaking the silence eventually. Tosh had he hand over her heart as she joined the hysterics, breathily saying, "My God Ianto, you scared me."

Jack on the other hand, wrapped his arms tightly around Ianto for a split second, before trotting off to change the thermostat. Owen pulled Ianto over to the autopsy room to examine him. Everything was to go back to normal.

…TW.TW.TW…

The Rift Monitor sounded, shrill and sharp. Immediately, the term converged around the screen.

"What is it?" asked Jack, staring at the screen.

Tosh typed at her keyboard accessing CCTV. "No idea what," she said, frowning, "But there's two beings giving off body heat."

"Heat not cold?" grinned Gwen.

"Heat, not cold," Tosh confirmed.

"Time for action then team," said Jack, standing up. "Tosh, stay here, be our eyes and ears, find out what those things are and keep track of them. Owen, with Gwen. Ianto, you're OK to come with me?"

Ianto rolled his eyes, but nodded. As they ran towards the SUV, Ianto grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him back and queried, "You order them but ask me?"

"Yup, sounds about right," smirked Jack, but slowed to a halt.

"Why?"

"You've been ill because of going out to rift openings. I don't want you to feel that you have to come."

"I didn't sign up to make coffee Jack. But are you sure that's all?"

Drawing closer, Jack honestly said, "That's all, I was worried for you. Is that so wrong?"

Ianto's reply was cut off by a yell from Owen, "Oi, love birds, get a move on."

With a grin, Jack took Ianto's wrist, and they ran towards the SUV.


End file.
